It seems to be every couple of weeks we hear of a mint condition A9X Torana, Monaro or GT-HO hitting the market for a monumental price, and they don’t seem to be having many issues finding a new home. So, with the Australian car manufacturing industry officially closed for business, which cars of more recent years will replace the classics of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s in another 50 years’ time? Well, in this article we take a look back at the cars produced in Australia since the turn of the century, and create a very short list of cars that might just be considered a classic in the future.
Ford Falcon FGX XR8 Sprint
The FGX XR8 Sprint was the most powerful Falcon ever produced, thanks to a 10 second overboost feature that elevated power specs from 335kw/570nm to a mammoth 400Kw/650Nm in short bursts. It was a final farewell for a model that had a long and illustrious history on both public roads and the race track. The final Falcon was a fantastic representation of what the Australian car manufacturing industry was capable of; not only was the car blisteringly fast, it was comfortable, looked good inside and out and rivalled many of its European counterparts in refinement. It will hardly be a surprise when the value of this car increases over time.
Holden CV8Z Monaro
The CV8Z Monaro was the final offering of the reincarnated Holden Monaro in the 2000s. It featured a beefed up 5.7 litre LS1 producing an impressive (for the time) 260kw. While the car was essentially a coupe version of the SS Commodore, the more compact appearance made the Monaro appear a considerably more sporty option than its full sized brother. Prices are already rising on good condition CV8Z’s, with the 6-speed manuals the pick of the transmissions.
HSV GTSR Maloo
The HSV GTSR Maloo is the fastest V8 Ute in the world, and as such will hold a special place in the heart of local car enthusiasts for many years to come. Truly one of a kind, the supercharged V8 ute features a host of goodies including 20inch forged alloy wheels, oversized brakes, bi modal exhaust, an impressive suspension setup and a torque vectoring differential. All these goodies result in a ute that stands out from the pack, creating a monster that looks just as home on the worksite as it does cutting laps at a track day. A cult favourite among young males, the Maloo will remain a desirable purchase for the foreseeable future.
Ford Tickford TS50 T3
In general, the AU Falcon was not a terribly attractive car, and thus nor was it a terribly popular car, so by the time the BA come along most were happy to see the back of the oddly proportioned AU. The shining light, however, of the AU range was undoubtedly the Tickford enhanced range of TE50, TS50 and to a lesser extent TL50 Falcons. The pick of the bunch was the TS50 T3, which featured a hand built 5.6 litre V8, lowered suspension, and an all at the same time outlandish but understated body kit. While power may have been down compared to its direct competition – the HSV Clubsport; an absurd amount of torque ensured that in real world situations, the TS50 could bat well above its average. While the AU may not be popular across the board, among die hard Ford fans, it doesn’t get a lot better than this!
HSV W1 GTRS
How could we end this list with anything other than the W1? Less than a year since it was announced, all 300 have been snapped up and the prices are blowing out on the open market, with some selling for around a hundred grand over their $169,000 asking price! With the Corvette ZR1 derived LS9 and performance mods everywhere you look, this car is a true track monster, producing an enormous 474Kw and 814Nm. Expect to see a number of these HSV’s tucked away under wraps, only to surface many decades from now with a truly ridiculous price tag.
Do you have any cars that you think should be on this list? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments below.
At the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month speculation was rife that Ford Motor Company had a special release up their sleeves. While there were a few murmurings of a special edition Mustang on its way, the huge crowd was still a gasp when the covers were pulled off a Dark Highland Green 50th Anniversary Bullitt Edition Mustang. The attractive coupe of course pays homage to the ’68 Mustang Fastback driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 classic film “Bullitt”, which features a car chase that will forever be remembered as one of the greatest in film history.
While the Bullitt is definitely quite the looker thanks to its unique wheels, de-badged grille, cue ball shifter and Recaro seats - the real gains come under the hood. With a bigger radiator, larger throttle bodies, a GT350 intake manifold and open air filter element the Bullitt will produce an impressive 354kw (475hp) off the showroom floor, an increase of 15hp over the premium GT offering on the regular 2018 Mustang. Handling is kept under control by Brembo six-piston front brakes, a larger anti-roll bar and a Torsen LSD, meaning that the coupe will certainly have no issues in getting from ‘0 to the speed limit’ in a flash.
If the classic Dark Highland Green isn’t to your liking the car will also have the option of coming in Shadow Black, with both colours receiving a special Bullitt rear badge to let others know that this isn’t just a regular Mustang.
In a throwback to ‘the good old days’ the Ford special will come in manual only and set customers back somewhere between $US45,000 and $55,000, however the first edition has already been sold at a heavily inflated price. Build no.1 was sold at auction in Arizona for an incredible $US300,000, with one hundred percent of that figure going to charity – Steve McQueen’s former school for troubled youths.
This year’s 50th anniversary edition isn’t the first Bullitt edition Mustang released, with the option first available in 2001 when 5,500 were produced with a host of features not included on the regular GT. The concept was revisited in 2008, with a $US3,300 upgrade package offered to the standard GT Premium.
Now to the question many of you will be asking, will we see this car on Australian shores? Unfortunately no plans have been announced for the export of the special pony car. Ford hasn’t exactly rushed to bring any of the Mustang’s other premium offerings such as the GT350 over here either. Although with the Mustang already Australia’s hottest selling sports car, and the relative ease of RHD conversion, hopefully a premium edition Mustang isn’t just a pipedream.
What are your thoughts on the new Bullitt Mustang? Does it live up to the “Bullitt” name? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.
Thinking of importing a much loved car (or motorcycle) from overseas? It might be worth taking a bit of time to weigh up the risks associated with such an investment before pulling the trigger. In 2017 Australian Border Force intercepted roughly 50 cars and motorcycles that contained traces of the potentially toxic substance, asbestos. Among those a host of classics, including a Jaguar E-Type, a Shelby GT350 Mustang, a Rolls Royce and a Bentley S3.
While the cost of importing these classic cars in the first place is hardly a cheap affair, the real costs begin to add up once asbestos has been found. In Australia, since 2003 a total ban has been placed on the toxic substance and individual importers face fines of up to $3000 per offence. Removal of the asbestos effected parts is then the sole responsibility of the individual with costs for some reportedly blowing out to north of $20,000!
The most common affected areas are brake pads, clutch linings and gaskets on specifically older makes and models of cars and motorcycles, so your new Right Hand Drive converted F150 Raptor is unlikely to face any issues. Imports are chosen at random for in depth asbestos testing, with microscopic analysis performed by an occupational hygienist.
Australian Authorities are suggesting a thorough inspection of the vehicle before it leaves its country of origin to ensure nothing makes it through to Australian shores where it is almost certain to catch the attention of customs.
So do your research on asbestos and save yourself a heap of time, effort and money before you import a classic car from overseas.
Do you have your eye on an international classic? Or do you have your own import horror story to report? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.
Summernats 31 came to an end after four days of tyre shredding action in Canberra on Sunday 7th January. A huge success, this year’s Summernats drew in an incredible crowd of 105,000 and a total of 2,105 vehicle entrants – one of the festivals greatest turnouts in its long and illustrious history.
“We saw fantastic cars, fantastic behaviour, a great program of events and despite the extreme weather that we have experienced here, our health and safety team worked diligently to make sure our all of our patrons came and went home safely,” said Summernats co-owner Andy Lopez.
The most prestigious award at Summernats is the Grand Champion and for 2018 the honour was awarded to Grant Connor and his spectacular maroon coloured 1967 Ford Falcon, impressing the judges for its near perfection in all areas of design and performance. For owner Grant, it was a special moment.
“What an unbelievable feeling. I never imagined I would ever win Grand Champion. I was hoping for a couple of smaller awards, but this is surreal. I have to thank my family and partner for all of their support.”
For Rare Spares, the event was a huge weekend and a massive success! Offering 20% of all orders placed and paid for at the stand, the Rare Spares Traders Pavilion was abuzz with punters for the duration of the four days.
Headlining promotions for Rare Spares at the event was our ‘Rare Experience’ promotion, which will give winners the ultimate motorsport weekend at the 2018 Adelaide 500 in March! To enter, patrons were given a key by the Rare Spares girls at gate 7, which was to be taken to the Rare Spares pavilion where the keys could be entered into a lock. If the key unlocked the lock, then the patron was awarded a prize. The lucky winner of the Rare Experience was D.Clark from South Australia, who can’t wait for their ‘money can’t buy’ experience.
Once again proving itself as the nation’s best automotive festival, Summernats will return in early 2019 for the 32nd time, and at Rare Spares, we’re already counting down the days!
Were you at Summernats 31? We’d love to hear your stories, head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know about your Summernats in the comments section below.
The Holden Sandman, a car that represented a generation of Australians and likely one of Holden’s most iconic cars has undergone a number of reincarnations throughout its lifetime. While the true Sandman will always remain the 1970’s surf and lifestyle icon for most, the Sandman name has been used on a number of cars throughout the four decades between then and now. In this week’s blog we’ll recap the different looks the Sandman has undertaken throughout the years.
The Original Sandman (HQ, HJ, HX, HZ)
A combination of the ever increasing costs associated with owning a sports car combined with the increasing liberation and freedom of the youth of Australia led to a boom in the popularity in panel vans before the Sandman was even announced. Not one to miss a sales opportunity, Holden brought out the Sandman, a panel van by nature, with the added performance and luxury initially of the Belmont and eventually the Kingswood. Optional extras included the 253ci V8, a mattress, and sunroof while softer suspension and a drop-down split tail gate for ease of access differentiated the Sandman from the regular panel van. Understandably the Sandman was a huge hit among young Males who now had a car that could do everything – you could sleep in it, transport surfboards and ‘woo’ mates and lady friends alike; the Sandman was sexy.
The Concept
In 2000, Holden teamed up with surf wear brand Mambo to create a modern day Sandman concept. Based on the VU ute, the Sandman concept was received very well amongst the general public, with many calling to introduce it into production. Featuring a ‘burnin’ love’ interior, ‘bushfire orange’ exterior and the Sandman logo gracing the tailgate - the concept was true blue Aussie. Gracing the side panels were murals designed by Mambo’s head art director, featuring bush and beach goddess’. In reaction to the favourable reception from punters, the Sandman styled canopy was included as a $6,150 option to regular Utes in 2003, although was discontinued in 2006 when interest decreased, not to mention the incredibly complex nature of installation.
The Race Car
Supercar team Red Bull Holden Racing set about creating a tribute to the original Sandman in 2014 when they created their new ride car. In what looks like a VF ute from the side, and a VF Wagon from the rear, the Red Bull Sandman was met with mixed reception, although is none-the-less, an impressive vehicle. The car was originally built with a 700HP V8 and featured new-to-the-sport technology such as paddle shifting and a fly-by-wire throttle. This year, however, the Sandman has been used as a test dummy for the incoming twin-turbo V6 that will grace the sport come 2019. The car was used to unveil the new engine to the public in October 2017 with demonstration laps at the Bathurst 1000.
The 40 year anniversary ‘reincarnation’
In 2015, Holden decided it was time to reincarnate the Sandman in the form of a limited edition Sportwagon and Ute. Although without a true panel van option, purists were left disappointed in what were essentially SV6 or SS-V Commodores with added logos, pinstripes and a ‘retro’ coloured interior. Given the small production run of only 250 across all options, the 2015 Sandman may very well end up a collectable in the future, particularly as Holden manufacturing in Australia has ceased. Time will tell…
What are your thoughts on the various Holden Sandman’s throughout the years? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and let us know in the comments section below.
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